


When Everything Changes

by Cats_Obsessions



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Action and Romance, BoS, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Sex, Shaun is her little brother, Slow Burn, The Brotherhood of Steel, The Railroad, arthur is misunderstood, soft arthur maxson
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-09-28 05:33:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17176856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cats_Obsessions/pseuds/Cats_Obsessions
Summary: Before the bombs dropped, Nora Williams was a young and successful military specialist working for the government. In one day that all changes, and over 200 years later she comes out of cryofreeze to witness her little brother's kidnapping. One dead end after another in three months of post-apocalyptic living with the Railroad, and she finds herself desperate, even going to the Brotherhood for assistance. What happens when the Sole Survivor of vault 111, an exceptional and hot-headed trained mercenary, finds herself in constant contact with those who oppose many of her own views- especially Arthur Maxson?Mature for language and eventual violence.





	1. When Everything Changes

**Author's Note:**

> This is something I have been working on for quite a while and finally decided to post it. 
> 
> I really don't love the canon beginning that sets up the Sole Survivor as a parent with a set career, so in this story Nora was never married and doesn't have a kid. Shaun is her 10-year-old little brother- which will be explored further in the story along with her background. :)

It had been months in the Commonwealth before they found Kellogg. Nick had gone with her, but when it seemed like everything was a dead end, she just wanted to be alone. She reported back to the Railroad, seeking some comfort in her friendship with Deacon, but he didn’t seem to understand- kept himself distant, brushing off sincerity with jokes. Her emotions for him were a whirlwind. One second he felt like the only person in the world she wanted to be with, and the next he made her feel more alone than ever. Then there were the Minutemen; she had been named their general, but she never really wanted the position. Helping people? She would love to do that, but the commanding position- she didn’t want that weight. She never really felt like she belonged there. Preston and the gang were good friends, but no one seemed to understand what she was going through or where she had come from.

It was that feeling of loneliness and loss that lead her here. Nora stared out the open doors of the vertibird as they hovered over the Commonwealth. Danse was talking about war and such, but her mind was elsewhere.

“This is the moment everything changes, initiate. Are you ready?” He said firmly, snapping her out of her trance.

A sly smile spread across her face. “Ready is an understatement.”

—-

Elder Maxson wasn’t at all what she expected. The young man had a severely scarred face, but his piercing blue eyes radiated an intensity she hadn’t seen elsewhere. He was very tall in stature, perhaps taller than Danse, and well built. His beard was trimmed perfectly, with hair slicked back in a way far too fashionable for a member of the brotherhood. The way he held himself was confident, too. Everything about him exuded power- right down to his deep and raspy voice.

She hated it.

His speech was far too militaristic for her liking. He wanted to talk to her afterward; another lecture on how she didn’t belong there? She swore to herself she would never be part of another military group, and this one was built on the US military. Desperate times call for desperate measures, she thought to herself. Once his address was over, she approached him cautiously as he stared out the windows, hands clasped behind his back.

“I care about them, you know? The people of the commonwealth.” he spoke as she approached, turning to look at her.

“If you say so.” She responded chastely.

“I can understand your hesitance. It may be hard to believe, but in war we often have to turn our weapons toward those we wish to save.” She had braced herself for a rebuke, but his response was strangely understanding.

“Having been on both sides of the barrel, I’m hesitant to be convinced.”

“And yet you’re here, and with highest regards from Paladin Danse. What is your reason for joining the Brotherhood, then?”

“I am going to destroy the Institute.” she said confidently.

“I can see why Danse speaks so highly of you. Considering the instrumental nature of your assistance in the Commonwealth, I am appointing you the title of Knight.” he responded.

Nora flinched at the word ‘Knight’. “I’m not here for a title.”

“That’s the way we do it in the Brotherhood. You’re going to have to get used to it.”

“I understand that, but I’m joining forces with the Brotherhood to help people, not climb ranks,” She explained irritably “Look, Elder, I have intel on the Institute that I know you need. I’m happy to help you if you help me. I’ll join the brotherhood and give you whatever information or assistance you need under one condition.”

“You’re giving me demands now?” He sounded disgusted, his offense audible. She was sure she had stepped on his fragile ego by the way a scowl covered his face.

“Call it a proposition. I give you whatever information you want; I’ll go on your missions, do the work, help with anything the Brotherhood needs, but I reserve the right to leave whenever I want. I’m not going to be charged with subordination or abandonment. The second I feel uncomfortable with a mission, I’m out. No repercussions. Consider me a contractor.” she said brashly. If he didn’t accept she was ready to walk out the door and never look back. Admittedly, the safety and accommodations of the Prydwen made it tempting to give in, but she wasn’t going to risk losing herself to another faction.

“What makes you think you have anything worth my time?” he scoffed. His face was twisted in an expression of menacing disdain.  
Nora squared her shoulders to stand prouder. “I have the memory of the Institute’s best assassin trapped within his cybernetic enhancements, not to mention a good collection of Institute technology.”

The Elder thought for some time before crossing his arms with a huff. “Fine. But you will behave within the BOS code of ethics. You will follow our traditions and regulations- show respect to your superior officers. And you will take the title of Knight. I am not going to have some merc coming in and out of the Prydwen. Be a team member or get out. Do you understand?”

Though he didn’t yell, she could almost feel the hardness of his voice. He spoke devoid of the understanding she received earlier, signaling that she had abruptly met the end of the Elder’s limits.

Nora smiled triumphantly “Absolutely, sir… I will have that intel to you within the week.”

She waited for him to dismiss her, but instead, the Elder stood in front of her unmoving. His cold stare glanced her over once in a way that made her feel like an open book, and vulnerability wasn’t her strong suit.

“In the Brotherhood, we value honesty among soldiers. It is obvious you have ulterior motives for joining, or not joining, us. I suggest you share those now, or else I’m unsure I can approve you for duty.” He said, not an ounce of vengeance in his voice, but she certainly felt like he was prodding to prove a point.

Nora shifted, uncomfortable with the sudden personal intrusion. Knowing she wasn’t going to get much farther without playing the game; she wasn’t one to back down, but the best way to get what one needs is sometimes to pretend to give the opposing party what they want.

“I’ve been a soldier before. I don’t intend on giving my life to an organization just to be thrown away when I’m no longer needed. I have more responsibilities than helping the Brotherhood… and one of those is to find my brother.”

Elder Maxson looked at her, softening his hard gaze in the slightest. She took his continued attention as a sign to continue.

“He’s just a kid. My intel says he was taken to the Institute.” she said quietly, avoiding the Elder’s intense stare. He nodded in response.

“That is a noble pursuit. Welcome to the Brotherhood, Knight. I hope we can help each other well.”

“Thank you, Elder”

“You are dismissed. Report to Paladin Danse… and Ad Victoriam, Knight”

“Ad Victoriam” she said half-heartedly, slinking out of the room to find Danse.

\---

The next few days were grueling, but Nora was growing to feel comfortable on the Prydwen, despite her attempts not to. Some of the soldiers were insufferable, yes, but she found she quite liked some of the scribes. She was able to get some caps for technical documents she had already let Tinker Tom make copies of, and she was able to pet a cat for the first time in a long while. Still, there were little things that made her uncomfortable: sleeping in a bunk near other people, public showers where everyone looked at her like she was from another planet, and then there were the whispers as she walked around of the merc Danse let on board. She refused to wear that hideous orange jumpsuit, so maybe she did that to herself. She wasn't a particularly soft looking; a slim and pale woman, standing at 5’7”, she held a ferocity anyone could see. Her long jet black hair fell just below her chest. Now, she tied it in a braid or put it in a bun most days, though. She had sharp features and full lips- Her eyes were especially piercing, teetering between brown and red.

After settling down on the Prydwen, Elder Maxson was quick to give her her first assignment, punishment, a scare tactic, or simply forcing her to prove herself- she was sure. She didn’t disappoint though, quickly downing the Behemoth, the first she had ever seen, with the minigun on the vertibird. Danse was with her the whole way, only complaining a little as she searched through file cabinets to find more technical documents and ammo.

“You’re going to slow us down.” he griped.

“We already cleared the place. I told Proctor Quinlin I would check for documents… or would you rather me neglect the Brotherhood’s constant search for technology?” she spit back, with the full intention of snapping pictures of the documents on her Pipboy before giving them to Quinlin.

“Oh, well, I’m glad you’re taking our mission to heart, Knight. Carry on.” Danse said, backtracking his complaints. He seemed surprised she would even consider going out of her way to help like that, but in reality, she just wanted to caps and an excuse to pet the cat. The Brotherhood was just a bunch of buff guys with sticks up their asses, as far as she was concerned.

Upon returning to the Prydwen, they were welcomed by Elder Maxson and, surely, another speech on Brotherhood morale.

“Knight, it seems you neglected to fill out your last name on your medical reports. It’s accustomed for last names to be used as identification.” he said pointedly.

“I don’t have a last name.” Nora lied, defiance and mischief illuminating her eyes. It wasn't that she wanted to push his buttons, but she knew the value of secrecy- something she had learned in her military days and carried here. With the Institute everywhere, the less anyone knew was better; she understood that better than most. Perhaps that is why her and Deacon could get along so well.

“Everyone has a last name.” Danse chimed in skeptically.

“I don’t.”

Maxson’s lips pursed. She braced herself for him to call her out in her bullshit. Instead, she received a knowing glare before he continued.

“Very well, Knight Nora.” 

\------

By the end of the week, Nora sat in the mess hall, trying to get some peace and quiet. She was tired of being around people for so long; she knew she didn't fit in here. She could feel it in the way they looked at her as she walked past and the whispers that floated around her. Some people were scared of her, some thought she was just a merc waiting to sell them out, and some thought she just got a lucky break, claiming the victory of killing Kellogg without any real proof.

She always sat at the bar, so it wouldn’t be as obvious no one sat near her.

A small table of boys were drinking and cackling near her. She could hear their whispering and joking. “She’s not going to last a month.”...“Disrespectful, can’t even follow orders and wear our uniform.”...“Someone ought to put her in her place.”... she could feel her nerves standing on edge, but forced herself to ignore them. She was going to finish her soup before she destroyed at least one of them.

The most inebriated of the group, a knight, sauntered up to her overconfidently. “A little bird like you couldn’t hurt a guy like Kellogg. Why don’t you let a real man show you a good time. I’m sure we can find something you can do.” he said.

Nora didn’t bother looking at him, keeping her eyes in front of her and a disinterested look on her face.

“Wow, I can’t believe you were even able to formulate a pickup line. I just figured all the men on this glorified blimp were too busy fantasizing about Elder Maxson to even consider aggressively belittling women.”

“What the did you say, bitch?” the Knight was quick to get angry, raising his voice.

This time she glared at him dead in the eyes, punctuating each word carefully, as if it would make him understand. “I said you’re not worth my time and everyone can see your hard-on for the Elder.”

“Talk like that again and I’ll push you off the flight deck the first chance I get!”

“Are you offended because you think I owe you something, or because your fragile male ego can’t handle a truther?”

The Knight was becoming red in the face when he snapped his head up to attention. Before rebuking Nora, he quickly left the mess hall with his posse, fists bundled by his side. Nora smiled triumphantly to herself, thinking she scared him off. That is, until heavy boot steps neared her.

“Knight Nora. Report to the observation deck. Now.” Elder Maxson’s deep gravelly voice spoke from behind her. Nora could feel shivers run down her spine.

He didn’t say a word as they walked to the observation deck- the closest thing Elder Maxson had to an office. She wondered if he slept in there, sometimes. The room was cold and large, with alcohol bottles littered around every table. He walked slowly to the center of the room, his shoulders proud and hands clasped behind his back, letting out a deep breath before he turned to face her. He offered her a seat on one of the couches, but she refused.

“It has come to my attention that you were a vault dweller.” His voice was steady, as always.

“If by vault dweller you mean I was frozen for over 200 years, but remember being in the vault for approximately five minutes, sure.” She replied nonchalantly.

“Yes, so then you were in the military before the bombs dropped.”

“Correct.” she replied cautiously, unsure of where he was going with this.

“Tell me, was this kind of behavior tolerated by your superior officers?”

“This kind of…” she tried to play dumb, hoping he hadn't heard her mention of him.

“Don’t play coy with me. You think I didn’t hear your little debacle with the Knight back there?” Though his words were menacing, he didn’t yell one bit.

“He started it!” she exclaimed childishly.

“Yes, and he will also be addressed for his inappropriate behavior,” Maxson explained. “But you chose to continue it. Furthermore, you have yet to show any resemblance of respect to me as your Elder. I've given you enough chances to change your attitude.” His eyes were intense as he stared at her like he was trying to see into her soul and find out all her secrets, an uncomfortable silence falling on the room.

Nora shifted uncomfortably, avoiding his gaze.

“Why are you here if you’re not going to follow the rules?” he asked.

The question took her by surprise. Nora expected some harsh rebuttal and the rumored punishment of scrubbing the Prydwen haul from the outside. But Elder Maxson was pushing her in a psychological way; she never was one for sharing.

“I- I told you. I need your help.” she said defensively.

“If that’s all you want, there is no reason to stay on this ship longer than needed. You are more than welcome to sleep in the Commonwealth…” he spat back, seemingly unimpressed with her response. He paused for a second, gauging her reaction, but she didn’t give him one. “Or do you just have a problem with authority?”

It seemed like in every conversation they were pushing each other to the end of their ropes. That was the one thing that pushed her too far. She was so tired of Elder Maxson expecting her to snap into place as the perfect soldier when he had done nothing to earn her trust.

“Maybe I do! But I wasn’t insulting you.” She snapped.

“You were insulting my men.”

Nora was becoming exasperated. She would rather take punishment and run than be drilled on etiquette or her deep personal issues. “Because they were harassing me.” she fussed.

Maxson’s frustration was written all over his face: the way his jaw clenched, the veins in his neck. He didn’t yell, but it seemed all of her little rebellions over the past few days were getting to him. “Then you need to report that to the Paladin or I, not take it into your own hands! Why can’t you understand that?!”

“I can take care of myself. I respect you, but why should I trust you when the last time I trusted my government I ended up in a freezer with a kidnapped little brother and everyone else I know dead?!” Nora yelled before she could think about what she was saying.

That was the first time she saw shock on Elder Maxson’s face as he was taken aback by what she said. His eyebrows knit together intensely while he watched her, his breathing slowing slightly. Nora diverted her eyes, quickly regretting her outburst.

“Do not let it happen again, Knight. Dismissed.” he said tensely, like it took everything he had to stop from raising his voice again.

Nora didn’t let him think it over, quickly rushing out of the room in a less than graceful retreat.

Danse was sure to give her an earful.

\---

“Nora, it is your third day on the Prydwen and you’ve managed to insult Elder Maxson twice. You’re going to have to be more careful. I’m sticking my neck out for you like this.” he explained as they sat in the mess hall. He had insisted they eat together ‘so she wouldn’t be lonely’, but she knew he intended to chew her out for her stunts. “He’s a compassionate man, but you shouldn’t push him like this.”

Compassionate? She could think of a lot of words to describe Maxson, but that wasn’t one. As Danse continued, Nora spotted her bully knight walk in. He quickly turned on his heels and retreated, a look of fright covering his face when he saw Nora. She momentarily smirked to herself before Danse turned to see what she was looking at.

“Don’t even think that is because of you. You should have heard the ‘talking to’ he got from Elder Maxson. The Elder doesn’t take lightly to that kind of behavior. He’s suspended... You’re lucky that you aren’t, too, but considering your role… he was more understanding than I expected.” Danse explained.

Nora looked at her dinner to avoid Danse’s eyes. “Her role” that’s a nice way to say that she was sexually harassed and belittled. But Maxson actually defended her…

\------

 


	2. Too Young

“He’s a psychopath!” Nora exaggerated, lounging in her chair in the Old North Church Railroad HQ. Fog danced around them in the air as Nora and Deacon kicked back while she updated him on everything she learned after a week on the Prydwen.

“I still don’t understand why you would even join.” Glory piped up from across the room, clearly eavesdropping.

“They have hot water, food, beer, and caps. What other reason do I need?” she chided. “Nah, there is a lot of info to be gained. And with a temporary alliance, I can get anything I need and peace out when I want.”

“Deep cover. A woman after my own heart.” Deacon said affectionately.

“Just don’t give those bastards anything.” Glory said, walking away.

Nora knew she would have to; that’s how you play the game, but she wouldn’t admit that to more sensitive members of the Railroad.

Deacon waited until Glory was out of earshot and the main room was mostly empty, giving them privacy, before he continued. “Seriously though, be careful with Maxson. He’s...something, alright. They might say they have your back, but I wouldn’t take his word about letting you leave whenever you want.”

Nora smiled, touched by his concern. Deacon always made her smile, and after a long week on the Prydwen, she was happy to have him by her side again. “Don’t worry about me, Deeks. I’ll be careful.”

“Hey, why don’t we head to Goodneighbor to celebrate your return to solid ground?” he suggested cheerfully.

“Hm, sounds like you have a job planned…”

Deacon smiled widely without a response. “I just winked at you. I know you couldn’t see it, but I winked.” he clarified, making Nora laugh heartily for the first time in a while.

\------

This was her first time returning to Goodneighbor since they revisited Kellogg’s memories with Nick. She shuttered to remember that day. That was what led her to the Brotherhood in the first place. She had helped Danse and his team before, but after the initial disappointment of not finding Shaun, she was desperate to find another way to get what she needed.

Nora hummed happily as her and Deacon visited all the shops to fill up on supplies and sell various items they had found. She felt electric next to Deacon, the way he made her laugh. He always understood her Old World anecdotes and slang. How, she had no idea. However, she couldn’t help her mind wandering back to the Brotherhood. She was curious about them.

The next few weeks were like that; she went back and forth between the Railroad and the Brotherhood completing missions and sleeping wherever was appropriate. She stopped by Sanctuary when she could, and visited settlements along the way to help. Danse didn’t mind tagging along to help the Minutemen after their duties in the Brotherhood were complete. He said that’s what the Brotherhood was there for- to help people. She didn’t want to admit she was beginning to believe it.

With each mission they finished, Elder Maxson made sure to have them report to himself or Captain Kells. He seemed gentler to her since their conversation- or more neutral at least. She was surprised that he often gave her praise for her quick and efficient completion of missions, but she could tell he hated her lackadaisical attitude and joking.

Captain Kells had grown to respect her fairly quickly and even trusted her to investigate a theft at the airport. The result of which she lied about after convincing the culprit, a well-meaning boy, to leave the Brotherhood. He was foolish for assuming ferals should be kept alive, but she admired his morals and wasn’t going to let the Brotherhood imprison him. She told Kells what happened, but claimed that she found evidence of the boy returning to the Capital Wasteland.

Despite her disagreements with the BOS, the familiarity of order and cleanliness was extremely comforting to her. And she was growing close to some of the people there. Danse was more of a friend than just a mentor by now, always treating her with respect and equality. Ingram was friendly enough, and Nora enjoyed joking with her as the two worked on power armor and weapon mods from time to time. Down at the Police Station, Scribe Haylen was quick to welcome her to the group wholeheartedly. Knight Rhys, on the other hand, was an ass wipe in Nora’s eyes. She told him as much when he said she wouldn’t _even_  understand the meaning of “Ad Victoriam” to which she was quick to correct him that she did, indeed, understand Latin, and that he was a degenerate.

Despite her growing affection for some of the BOS members, Nora’s heart still sang the loudest when she was working with the Railroad- something that had been on her mind a lot lately. Deacon was increasingly impressed with her “undercover work”- not that she was on the Prydwen as a spy, so much as an opportunist, really. However, he was happy to tag along with her anywhere when he could and gab about any and everything she missed at HQ while she was gone. It seemed the distance made him miss her more, bringing them closer than ever.

Deacon was one of the first people she met, right after the Minutemen. He was one of the few people that really understood her- or most of her, anyways. He knew more about pre-war times than anyone else, and his inexplicable ability to make her laugh had a magical property that seemed to turn any bad day good. The two had become instant friends and formed a close bond over the past few months, Nora's fondness of him slowly turning into much more serious emotions; she didn’t feel like she could keep ignoring the feelings that were growing inside her, but Nora couldn’t bring herself to admit them, much less tell him…

All of this was circling in Nora’s mind as the two returned from wiping out some Gen 2 synth for Mr. Tims. They picked up the dead drop and were able to secure the area easily enough, but it was dark now as they walked back to HQ. They were close, but with night came all of the worst things in the Commonwealth.

The cool air was filled with the moisture of the ocean and the stars sparkled brightly over them. They never sparkled like that before, with all the light pollution in 2077. Nora sighed contently.

“Deeks?”

“Hm?” he replied softly, still searching for possible enemies. She didn’t let her guard down, either.

“I’ve been thinking…”

“Oh, I like to do that, too! Sometimes…” he chided, causing her to chuckle softly.

“No, idiot. It’s about something important.” she responded lightly.

Deacon glanced at her for a moment before the two heard rustling nearby, and then the familiar yelling of a super mutant.

“Fuck!” Nora hissed.

It was only seconds until bullets showered down from a group of five green giants on the roof of a nearby building. Under the veil of darkness, they hadn’t even realized they were walking right through a small nest of mutants. Deacon was quick to think, pulling Nora toward him, pressed up against an alley wall. She blushed at the closeness, but was quick to react tactically, pulling out her own gun to shoot back. With the help of the cover and both their excellent aims, it wasn’t hard to pick off most of the mutants. Two were left when Nora heard the distinct clicking of Deacon’s gun.

“Dammit! I’m out!” he cursed.

“I got it!” she said, shooting down one more with her own last shot, followed by the click of an empty gun.

“You don’t got it.” Deacon observed, oh so helpfully.

“I’m sure I have something else…” Nora was about to rifle through her pack when the two heard the distinct sound of beeping.

“A nuke, now?! Really??!!” Deacon complained.

“RUN!!!”

Deacon grasped Nora’s hand and ran as fast as he could, guiding her through the twists and turns of the streets he knew so well. She could feel hear heart beating in her ears as the adrenaline took over her. She was going to die. Right here. Right now. Because of a freaking super mutant- and the closest thing to happiness she would have was Deacon’s hand in her own. Oh god… Why couldn’t she die a cooler way, like by deathclaw or something, she thought.

Deacon slid around the corner of the last alleyway spotting the entrance to the church. No use going in the back, they just needed to get hidden. That’s when they heard the boom behind them, but Deacon didn’t stop until they were inside and safe from any debris and radiation. Finally, the two came to a halt in the main room of the church, surrounded by debris and a few dead ferals. They were silent for a few moments, chests heaving and breath all but gone.

“Deacon-” Nora sputtered. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, whether from their stunt or what she was about to say, she wasn’t sure. “I need to tell you something.”

“Sure, go for it.” Deacon kept his cool, shooting her finger guns, though he was still catching his breath.

“I- um- fuck” she muttered bellow her breath. It was now or never, but she couldn’t keep going in this constant state of unknowing. “I love you.” she braced herself for his response.

Deacon looked at her, unreadable. Without seeing his eyes, she could hardly tell what he was thinking, but the lack of response only scared her more. “Oh, man- Nora are you sure you mean that? I mean, I get it- we had a pretty close one there, but you should really think about something like that before you say it.” he rubbed the back of his head nervously. She could see how his eyebrows were scrunched up in confusion or concern.

His response was a shock to her. She expected a full rebuttal or acceptance, not questioning her emotions.

“What? Yes, I’m sure! I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.” she clarified.

Deacon shoved his hands in his pockets. He looked uncomfortable. It was making Nora uncomfortable. This was a horrible decision, she thought, regretting everything she had ever done that brought her to this moment. She cringed, expecting him to admit his dislike of her- expecting this to be the end of everything they had.

“No offense, pal, but I really don’t think you know what you’re talking about... Look, you’re still young. I’m… not. Maybe it’s just a crush, but I know it’s not love.”

“I- you think I don’t know my own feelings?!”

“Not exactly. You’re just too young for something like that, that’s all..”

“Too young… to understand love?!” she said from gritted teeth.

“I’m sorry. You’ll understand one day.” for a millisecond, she could hear sincerity in his voice. And just like that, it was gone with his casual air back, “We’re still besties though, right?”

“Right.” she said bitterly, pushing down the anger that threatened to erupt in her. The next hour was a blur, but she got as far away from Deacon as she could, citing a desperate settlement as an excuse for her quick and nearly wordless leave- not the tight feeling in her throat or the aching in her chest.

\------

Nora took another long sip of her Gwinnett Stout; it was the only beer she thought had any real merit in this wasteland. Luckily, the Prydwen actually had refrigerators to keep the beer cool- just another cheap reason she was on this metal death balloon in the first place. It was with a heavy thud she set the nearly empty bottle next to two empty ones. It was enough to take the edge off, at least.

It was late at night, and Brotherhood personnel were scarce, most choosing to retire to their bunks. The only thing to keep her company was the loud hum of the engines and the sterile chill that ran through the room. She sat at the bar, alone, in front of the small self-serve kitchen. The mess hall, filled with old world tables and booths, was normally bustling. This time, though, Nora scared away anyone who thought they could join her. She left her polished metal armor on for the most part, only abandoning the chest piece on the floor. That, mixed with the vicious scowl on her face warned everyone today was not the day to mess with her.

She was different than everyone else there. She didn’t wear the BOS uniform. Nora was just a contractor. Perhaps PAM was right to call her a rogue variable; no one ever knew what she was going to do… or when she would snap. She didn’t want to think about the Railroad now, though. Pushing the thoughts aside, she gulped back the last of her drink.

“Knight…” a deep voice rang out behind her. She didn’t get up to face them, sure it would be the Paladin ready to scold her.

“Leave me alone.”

“Knight.” the voice was harsher this time, warranting her glance. Looking down on her was the curt face of Arthur Maxson. Nora had never seen him smile. The man was elusive. She wasn’t sure that anyone really knew him.

“Elder! I thought-” she stopped herself, knowing explaining that she thought she was snapping at a Paladin was not much better.

It was odd seeing Maxson out of his quarters or away from the observation deck. He rarely wandered away from work and talked to her even less.

“You know public intoxication is an offense on the Prydwen.”

“Yet, somehow that hasn’t stopped me.” She said dryly. She wasn’t drunk, but she didn’t have the patience for more rules and regulations- even if that meant she was mouthing off to the Elder.

“I have received several complaints from crew members. What do you suppose I tell them?”

“That they can mind their own fucking business.” she said, hopping up to wander to the fridge for another round and to avoid the Elder’s scrutiny.

Maxson sighed “Knight, is there something you need to get off your chest?”

The question stalled her as she rummaged through the fridge. “I need another drink.”

A mischievous look filled Maxson’s eyes, and she wasn’t sure if she should be afraid or not. The imposing man never showed his emotions clearly.

“I need to remove you from the mess hall, per BOS regulations. However, Paladin Danse expressed his concern over your…state...before he departed for his next mission. Perhaps we can make a deal.”

“A deal?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“You do seem to be fond of those.”

“Okay” she said hesitantly.

“Next beers on me if you care to explain what prompted this.”

Nora questioned herself with every step that sent her closer to the Elder’s quarters, as she prepared herself for the most awkward beer of her life. She didn’t particularly want to share her day with the militaristic leader of the Brotherhood, but Danse’s concern sold her out. In reality, he was right. She didn’t drink much, but she just wanted to forget today and move on. It just so happened that the Prydwen was the only safe place to get plastered. She screwed herself on this one, forgetting Maxson’s continuous concern over the soldiers’ mental health.

His quarters were not as large or elaborate as she had expected. The only real perks she saw were a small fridge, a larger bed, and bottles of hard alcohol scattered around the room. Other than that, he had a modest table, a bookshelf filled to the brim, and a desk with a personal terminal. It was homier than she expected, littered with personal items and things hung on the wall. Aside from the deathclaw skull perched on the bookcase, the room wasn’t nearly as intimidating as the man that inhibited it.

He waved for her to sit at the table, not bothering to move his technical documents. He was either stupid, thought she was out of her mind, or trusted her enough not to be concerned about her stealing the information.

When he sat across from her with a beer for her and one for himself, she couldn’t help but stare at the way he held himself. She would never admit it, but his sheer size and confidence made her uneasy.

“So, long day?” He broke the silence, uncharacteristically casually.

Nora huffed in amusement. “You could say that.”

“The BOS code of ethics emphasizes honesty, so I certainly hope you plan on keeping your side of our deal.”

“You could open my bottle first!” She motioned to the cap tightly sealed on the drink. Somehow 200 plus years of radiation really made the things stick. “I need more alcohol in my system if I’m going to tell you this.”

Without a word he reached across the table and removed the cap with his hand, depositing it in front of her.

“Keep it as a tip.” She snarked.

“‘Must be a great story if you’re so reluctant to tell it.” His impatience began to show, but Nora could swear she saw a hint of enjoyment in his eyes.

“It’s dumb… it’s about a boy.” She waited for him to comment, but got a raised eyebrow instead.

Nora shifted to look away from Maxson, embarrassed by her emotions. “I- there’s this guy- he’s just a normal guy, not a soldier.” That was a stretch, by far, but the Brotherhood couldn’t know about her ties to the Railroad. “He’s my best friend, actually. Well, anyways, I confessed my love to him and got majorly denied. And I’m just mad. Is that good enough?”

“You’re mad?”

“Yes! I would get it if he said he didn’t love me, but that wasn’t it. No- he said I didn’t know what I was talking about. Treated me like a fucking kid with some crush that’s too young to understand love.” she said bitterly. She was too angry and too numb to feel the actual pain from Deacon’s response. “Technically, I’m over two hundred years old.”

And that was it. Nora saw Elder Maxson smirk for the first time ever. It wasn’t sadistic or patronizing like she had imagined; his pale blue eyes stared at her knowingly.

“And did you feel put down for your age in the old world?”

“No! In the old world, everyone saw me as so successful and mature for my age. I’m twenty-two, got a full-time job with our government, and I’m a veteran- with a very successful track record, if I may add. But all of that means nothing here. I didn’t grow up here, and a lot of people think I’m weak because of that.“

“I assure you, I don’t believe that.”

“You don’t?” Nora sputtered in surprise.

“No. You’ve had your life taken away and been thrust into an entirely unknown world, only to survive as one of the strongest people in the Commonwealth. That man is an idiot to pass up a woman like you.” Maxson’s eyes burned into her.

The compliment was unexpected. She knew he valued her skills, but she always assumed it was because she was disposable. Perhaps that was still true, but a blush threatened to cover her face nonetheless.

“Thanks” she said, taking another swig of beer to hide her smile.

“Very few here live to be old, yet they still criticize us as inexperienced due to our age.”

“Us?” Nora asked, her voice rising in curiosity. She had heard rumors Maxson was young, and surely he wasn’t over thirty, but she didn’t think he was young enough to criticize. “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” she asked with sudden politeness, but she felt odd inquiring about something personal with him.

“Twenty.”

Nora’s mouth almost fell open in shock.

They figured out they were only a year and a half apart in age, technically, if Nora didn’t count her time in the freezer. If she did, she was only 236 years older than him.

Nora nursed her beer slowly with a different purpose now. At the bar she had only wanted to get sloshed, but with Elder Maxson, she surprisingly enjoyed the conversation. They swapped stories about the commonwealth and battle scars, they shared laughs, and Nora found herself beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, Arthur Maxson could be a normal man.

When Nora’s eyes began to flutter with exhaustion, she realized it was time she head to her bunk.

“Thank you for the beer, Elder… and the company.” She said, shyly.

“Knight, perhaps we could do this again when you return from your next mission.”

“This: as in me complaining about boys to you?” she chided

“No- I was thinking maybe just the beers, unless you would prefer to.” he offered.

“Beers sound better. I would like that, Elder Maxson.”

Perhaps, if it’s on a casual basis, such as this…” he stalled around his word “you may opt to call me something more casual.”

“Oh, of course. I will, um, see you around then… Arthur.”

\------

Nora didn’t return to the Railroad that night, as she had planned. She didn’t return all week or the next. She took up all the BOS missions she could find and headed out with Danse instead. She didn’t tell him about her weird heart to heart with Maxson, or that she felt like she was dying on the inside, or why she was angry all the time. She just ran from it all and channeled her energy into these missions. Clear out the junkyards, check on this raider camp, see if the settlers need help, stop by the Castle to take out the mirelurk, anything to avoid her real thoughts.

“Nora, you have been acting very strange lately.” Danse said one night, picking up on her erratic behavior.

They sat in the dimly lit dining room of The Castle. She fucking hates country music and she was sick of Preston’s intrusions, but it was somewhere safe where Deacon wouldn’t set foot.

The large stone walls were always damp from the moist breeze that came off the ocean. The room was illuminated by the strands of lights hung all over the castle, giving a yellow glow to everything around them.

“I am just really done with people this week. I’m sorry if I’ve been a bitch lately.”

“You have definitely not been... That. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” he said gently. Danse was always nice like that. He was always concerned about his fellow soldiers.

“I’ll be okay…” Nora responded, thinking to herself. “I guess I don’t really know who I am or where I belong lately.” she admitted, uncharacteristically vulnerable.

“I felt like that, too, before I joined the Brotherhood.”

“Well, maybe the Brotherhood can fix all my problems. No offense, Paladin.”

“None taken. Perhaps you are the one holding yourself back. Just explore your options a bit more- keep an open mind.”

“That is not advice I imagined coming from you.” Nora responded with a smirk.

“I’m only giving it because I know you don’t consider yourself a strong part of the Brotherhood- I was really just hoping I would steer you in that direction, as opposed to toward becoming a raider queen or something.” Danse admitted, causing both of them to laugh for some time. A lot of people didn’t get Danse’s dry sense of humor, but Nora quite enjoyed it.

The smile on her face lingered for much longer; despite her original distaste for BOS soldiers, she was thankful for the friendship she had forged with Danse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Nora had such a crush on Deacon. Honestly, who doesn't? Everyone experiences heartbreak, sometimes. But maybe there's someone better for her ;)
> 
> Any feedback, suggestions, or requests? I'm happy to hear them!! Thank you so much for all of the positive feedback so far! <3


	3. Greyscale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the support and kind words from everyone!! The next few chapters may be coming out a bit slower, like this one, because I have just started another semester of grad school and things are getting busy. 
> 
> If you have any suggestions or requests for things you'd like to see happen, let me know! I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts, and maybe I can incorporate them :)

The Brotherhood wanted to collect some technology in the Saugus Ironworks building. At first, the errands seemed useless, but when she saw scribes like Haylen actually put the parts to use, it became a welcome challenge for her to find the rarest parts on missions like this; it was an added bonus when that meant wiping out psychopaths like the Forged that had been giving the settlers a hard time. 

Nora was perched on a boulder, sniping them down from a distance while Danse took them on from a closer range in his power armor, shielded from their flames. Dense smoke filled the air, carrying the noxious smells of chemicals and ashes. When the last Forged fell, Nora surveyed the area while Danse inspected the terminals outside of the plant. 

The snapping of a twig alerted her to the presence of approaching footsteps. She quickly pulled out her pistol to face the intruder only to see Deacon. Nora sighed dismissively before going back to the scope of her rifle. 

“What do you want?” she said coldly. 

“Agent Whisper hasn’t shown up for a few weeks. Just checkin’ to make sure you haven’t replaced me.” Deacon said casually, not even addressing the fact he stalked her who-knows-how-far to ‘check in’ on her.

“Oh, don’t worry. I could never find anyone your brand of obnoxious in the Brotherhood.” she responded, only half joking. 

“Come on, Nora,” Deacon folded his arms impatiently. “And look at me for a second. I know there’s no one down there anymore!” he gestured to the empty parking lot where Danse was accessing a terminal to search logs for mentions of tech.

“Danse is down there and I’m not about to let some fire bastard sneak up on him.”

Her dismissiveness made him finally snap. “You’re mad at me because I denied you? Really? That’s mature.”

His accusation made her knuckles white with anger as she gripped the gun tighter. “No, Deacon.” Nora did look up from her scope this time with a wicked look on her face. “I’m fucking pissed because you denied me for a shit reason and treated me like an incapable toddler, while simultaneously asking me to murder any and everyone that gets in your way.” she spat like venom. 

Deacon looked as surprised as a man with sunglasses on could. He didn’t say anything and waited for her to continue.

“If you don’t fucking like me, just fucking say it. How about that?” she returned to her scope to see Paladin Danse motion to her. 

“I’ve got the tech. Meet me at the south end, Knight.” Danse chimed on her radio.

“I’ll be there in just a minute.” she replied, rising to her feet to leave Deacon behind. 

“Nora, let me explain.” he said quickly, reaching for her arm to stop her from leaving. 

“Explain quickly or come with me. I don’t care, but I’m not going to leave the Paladin waiting.” she replied harshly, two weeks of anger preventing her from seeing the desperation on Deacon’s face.

“I- It was about Barbra,”

Nora stopped in her tracks, feeling a pang in her chest. All of the sudden her anger and harsh actions weighed down on her like 100 pounds of guilt. 

“I’m sorry. It wasn’t about your age, even if I am an old man in comparison. I can’t love you- or anyone for that matter. Part of it is the job, you know. But, most of it is Barbra. I can’t move on. There’s no future for me. These mistakes I’ve made… I can never stop loving her,” Deacon said quietly, looking at the ground as if to hide his already concealed eyes from Nora. “I’m sorry”

Nora let silence hang in the air for a moment before she could fully process what he was saying. “It’s okay... I should’ve known.” Nora said quietly, pain still filling her chest- but a different kind of pain. A less permanent kind. “Thank you for being honest with me. It means a lot. I just… I needed some space, okay. It’s nothing personal and it’s not all about us, either. I’m just going through a lot with everything that’s happened lately.”

“And the Brotherhood helps with that?” Deacon said skeptically.

“Knight, are you coming?” her radio chimed again.

“Yes, I’m coming! I had a hold up with some wild Mongrels.” she lied.

“Yes. they do, oddly. And I am getting good connections here. They’ll be able to provide what I need to go to the Glowing Sea safely. That’s what matters.” Nora said. 

She left out all the other reasons: the comfort she was gaining there, the friendships she was forging, and her confusion at all of it- that Nora was beginning to sympathize with the Brotherhood- not full agreement, but sympathy nonetheless.

Nora stopped before rushing to meet with Danse. “Deacon, you know I would never replace you, right?”

“Yea- yea, totally.” Deacon attempted to say cooly. 

His failure made Nora smile. She quickly leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek that made him smile. “We’re besties, remember? I’ll catch up with you soon. I promise.” 

\------

Late at night, she strolled the hallways of the Prydwen, alone with her thoughts. At this time, the only noises that could be heard were the engine and her own footsteps, faint taps on cold metal. She felt bad for leaving deacon wondering about their friendship like that, but she wanted some time away from the Railroad and the Minutemen, operating under some independence of a faction; her contractor status granted that to some extent. 

Mostly, she was focusing on her goal, finding Virgil in the Glowing Sea. While they provided regular power armor, she needed the lead coating to protect her from the heart of the explosion site, where radiated fumes were as common as oxygen and the Commonwealth’s cruelest creatures hid. She kept telling herself that was the only reason she was here, but she was beginning to wonder if she was getting too comfortable. 

Nora turned the corner into the mess hall when she spotted a figure at one of the tables sitting over a book, a pen in hand. The sound of her footsteps alerted them to her presence, triggering a quick closing of the book. In the dim light, it wasn’t hard to recognize the Elder once he turned to face her.

“Knight Nora,” he said “what are you doing up at this hour?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” she said, eyeing the book he had shut suspiciously as she approached him. “Working on something?” 

Elder Maxson looked momentarily embarrassed before responding. “No- it’s nothing.”

If he just made something up, she wouldn’t have been so curious. But his denial triggered something in her to push for answers. “In the Brotherhood, we value honesty among soldiers,” she quoted him to himself “I would hope you’d be courteous enough not to keep secrets, Elder.” she said, mocking his register, planting herself in the seat across from him.

Arthur sighed deeply and rubbed his face. “It’s personal.”

“You seem to have no problem digging into my personal life.” Nora huffed.

“Fair enough. I like to write. That’s all.” he said quietly, avoiding eye contact with her.

“That’s not something to be embarrassed about.”

“I am not embarrassed. It’s just personal.” he corrected her. “Besides, most people look down upon an Elder doing anything other than work. Especially something less… useful.”

“People are dicks. Everyone here acts like any act without violence is a waste of time, but if you spend all your time in war thinking about war, you’ll go mad.”

Arthur looked at her thoughtfully before responding. “I suppose that’s true. Though, I’m not sure I can say the same about the people.” he chuckled, pausing for a second before redirecting the conversation. “Do you have any hobbies?”

“Does drinking count?” she laughed softly. “Before the war, I did. I read a lot, actually. When I was deployed, my family and friends would send me a lot of books. Shaun and I always competed to see who could read the most in a month.” she smiled sadly, both enjoying the memory and feeling the pain it brought with it; she didn’t normally talk about Shaun or details about her pre-war life for that reason. 

“How old was he?” Arthur asked softly, watching her intently, perhaps cautious he had overstepped her boundary. 

Her instinct was to run, to leave this personal territory and tell the Elder exactly how nosey he was, but she was the one who mentioned him, and the logical part of her knew Arthur was just interested. Who wouldn’t be? She was the only thing to survive that war in one piece, it seemed. She bit her lip as she contemplated giving the simple answer, wasting too much time for him not to notice.

He was quick to respond to her discomfort “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have-.”

“No-” she stopped him before she even realized what she was saying; the sincerity in his voice was refreshing, comforting even. It was as if as soon as he began to withdraw the question, she realized how much she wanted to answer it. “He was ten when the bombs dropped… We were together that day.” 

“That must have been frightening” he said.

She nodded, looking down at the table. Frightening, terrifying, it was worse that than that. She remembered going down to the vault, the ominous mushroom cloud in the distance, the panicked expressions of everyone around her, and the flashes of hot air and bright light as the shockwave flew over their head. 

“They don’t really prepare you for that in boot camp… They said we were decontaminating when they put us on ice. It was like a blink of an eye and the next thing I know, I’m watching from my pod as scientists take him, then everyone was gone again.” Nora paused, breathing deeply to calm her nerves. “I’m just glad I’m not the only one that survived, honestly.” she smirked, trying to brush off the grimness of the conversation and hide how much it really bothered her.

But Maxson’s gaze was knowing and compassionate, softer than she expected the scarred man could be. Though, she was finding more and more that he was nothing that she expected. Stubborn- yes, arrogant at times, but he wasn’t at all the embodiment of BOS values and conceited self-importance so many of his men displayed. He was kind.

“You’ll find him, Nora.”

——

“Shit.”

The insipid smell of sulfur and rotting meat burned her nostrils. Nora waded through the repulsive contents of the sewer leading to the Railroad’s back entrance. Stealth was key, but the congealed liquids and absolute stench that saturated the air caused her to second guess the necessity of it. Thankfully, a pair of fishing waders were placed at the entrance and exit at all times- likely due to Carrington’s concern for the members’ health, one of the only things she liked about him. 

She popped off a round from her silenced gun into a nearby feral corpse floating in the goo; it had been there for months, she knew it was dead, but couldn’t shake the instinct to double check.

When the entrance was finally in sight, she was greeted by the sight of Deacon casually leaning against the wall, a snarky smile on his face as he watched her struggle. 

“And the prodigal daughter returns! Welcome home, Agent Whisper.”

She scoffed at him in response. “Why does HQ have to be in a fucking sewer?”

He laughed loudly at her disdain, but it was enough to make Nora smile again. Some sense of normality seemed to be returning to their relationship. They didn’t discuss their conversation at Saugus Ironworks, but she could tell Deacon was comfortable having her back. Still, Nora kept more distance between them than she would typically, afraid he would think she was still pursuing him. It wasn’t just that, though. 

Nora felt herself changing. Nothing seemed as black and white anymore like everyone made it out to be. She reported everything she felt comfortable saying about the BOS to Desdemona and gave technical document copies to Tinker Tom as usual, but their sarcastic comments didn’t sit with her well anymore. 

“They’re just a buncha tech hoarders.” one agent commented as Tom sorted through the papers, rattling off his latest conspiracies about the BOS- something about Elder Maxson being an Institute synth. 

“Actually, they have a lot of scientists that study and repurpose the technology. Anyone else could do the same. It’s not like they’re taking it from anyone.” Nora retorted without thinking, instantly regretting the words. Deacon looked at her thoughtfully, propped against one of the columns nearby, but the agent simply rolled their eyes.

“Or maybe you’re an Institute synth.” Tinker Tom said, pulling out some half baked invention and waving it in front of her. 

“I’m not a synth!” she swatted his scanner away forcefully, but it didn’t deter him. “I’m just stating facts. If you hate someone, it should be for the truth, not your exaggerations and rumors. Now get that fucking thing out of my face.” 

Tinker Tom stepped back, putting his hands up in surrender. She could hear Deacon chuckling. “My bad, my bad. You’re not a synth… replacements don’t got that feist.” he muttered at the end.

Nora sighed irritably, stalking off to her bunk for the night. She threw herself down on the worn sleeping bag, something she was used to from the military. She needed the rest and some space to think through everything. In the morning, her and Deacon would handle another dead drop and transport an escaped synth. Then, she would be heading back to the BOS soon, maybe stop by Goodneighbor, a few settlements on the way. All she wanted was to be alone, to find her little brother and be alone, care for nothing but herself and her own well-being. Why did everyone have to complicate that? She sighed again, this time in defeat. Maybe she really couldn’t escape her past. Killing was her skill, but it would never really be for anything unjust. But justice was a greyscale and she was less and less sure of who was in the right the more days that passed- they were all right and wrong. 

She heard a thud on the ground next to her, and then Deacon’s voice. “Everything okay, Nora?” 

She didn’t open her eyes, only squeezed them tighter. “What if everyone is wrong and no one is totally right?” 

“Wow, I must really be rubbing off on you if you’re saying things that cryptid.” 

“I’m serious! What we’re doing here is great, but other people do great things too, but everyone does some bad things, and everyone hates each other for little- okay, sometimes little, differences.” 

“Ah, having troubles picking a side then?” he said, amused. Nora let her eyes open and moved to look at him. 

“It’s not that. I’m on your side. I just have troubles being against everyone else.” she muttered. “Except the institute, of course.”

Deacon looked at her for some time, his expression going from concern to relaxed again. “Maybe you don’t have to be against everyone, but sometimes you have to make tough decisions. Dogma and propaganda shit, you find that everywhere. It’s actions that count. When it comes down to it, I know you’ll make the right decision.”

Nora nodded slowly, taking in his words. Actions were what mattered. People aren’t the faction they represent. If conflicts arose, it doesn’t mean she would have to give up everyone she had gained, right?

“Thanks, Deeks.” she said softly.

\-----

Elder Maxson was getting antsy, cooped up in the Prydwen for far too long. He had decided to take some time to get to know the Commonwealth and visit their outpost at the police station. That meant choosing a valuable soldier to travel with.

“Why me?” Nora asked.

“You’re one of our best, Knight- unless you have something more important to do.” Arthur raised an eyebrow at her.

She was quick to reply “No- no, that’s not what I meant. I guess I just thought someone higher up in the chain of command may be better suited to travel with.”

“Or someone that actually follows orders” he chided, more to himself than her. 

—

After their long day of wandering the Commonwealth, Goodneighbor looked like a godsend. When Nora first arrived, it seemed like the worst hellhole she could imagine, but after a few months in the commonwealth, all the sudden the dingy neighborhood was welcoming. She wasn’t sure Arthur would see it the same. However, the promise of alcohol was enough to convince him the Third Rail was worth visiting. 

Nora led him through the foggy neighborhood, air damp with moisture as the sun was setting above them. He was silent as they passed the brick buildings and several locals, but she could feel his heightened vigilance- she was tense herself, for an entirely different reason.

The Third Rail was always warm, illuminated with soft lights and the burning fires. Though Magnolia wasn’t singing tonight, the room was never quiet. Groups of people from all over the Commonwealth gathered on couches and around the room to chat and share stories. It wasn’t the safest place, but it was somewhere Nora very much enjoyed. She found a small table near the back of the room where it was a bit quieter and sat down with their beers in hand. 

The two sat in comfortable silence for some time before they started to chat again. Arthur was always the one to start it. He asked her about how she spent her time in the Commonwealth, leaning in intently as she spoke when they were interrupted. 

“Nora!” Hancock beamed as he came over to greet her in a warm hug. Though brutal and dangerous to those that cross him, he was exceedingly tactile with friends. “Long time no see! What you been up to, sister?”

“Oh, you know, the usual.” Nora said, risking a glance at Maxson, who already looked disapproving. 

“Who’s your new friend here?” Hancock raised a curious eyebrow.

“Oh, this is…” she stalled, unsure if Maxson would feel comfortable with first names, but not wanting to reveal he was the Elder of the BOS.

“Arthur.” he said curtly for her.

“Ah, well, any friend of Nora’s is a friend of mine, so welcome to Goodneighbor. You need any chems while you’re in town, just hit me up, brother.” 

“You are certainly no brother of mine.” Maxson said. 

Hancock scowled, backing away slightly. “Considering you’re new here, I’ll let that one slide. You know where to find me if you need anything, Nora.” He winked at her before glaring at Arthur and sauntering away.

A cold silence fell over them as Nora tried to control her irritation. When Hancock was finally out of earshot, she finally spoke up.

“Would it kill you to be nice?” She said, glaring at Arthur.

“That was perfectly cordial. Why do you care? Wasting time with that... thing?” Arthur said, wrinkling his nose in doing so.

Nora sighed loudly, letting her beer hit the table as she put it down, as her patience snapped. She knew she would have to face this side of him eventually, seeing that he was raised on propaganda, but somehow she had held out hope he wouldn’t act like the bigot she originally thought him to be. 

“What the hell is wrong with you!?” 

“Excuse me!?” the Elder was mad, she could tell. His muscles tightened and jaw clenched, just like they did the first day she challenged him.

“I get why you don’t trust synths, and I get why you hate super mutants, but ghouls are just people. You seriously don’t get it, do you?! These people didn’t choose their fate. It doesn’t change who they are! Hell, that could’ve been me. I lived through the bombs. One leak in the vault, or if I didn’t get there in time, and I’d be just like them. Then what? You’d hate me all of the sudden just because I was less fortunate than you?”

Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Nora doubted anyone ever laid into him like this before, but her stubbornness stopped her from realizing the world of trouble it could get her into. 

“The only reason your ancestors didn’t have the same fate as them is because they were privileged. Get off your high horse and recognize you come from a place of privilege! You can’t even begin to fully understand the struggles ghouls go through. Neither can I. If you’re going to hate Hancock, that’s fine, but it should be for his personality- not some benign medical condition.” She said, watching Maxson for a response; first he glared at her with those burning eyes of his, but she saw his expression melt slightly, his shoulders slumping as she spoke.

He was quiet for sometime, staring at his bottle contemplatively. “I- perhaps you are correct that I may have been a little brash with my judgments.” He said, refusing to make eye contact. “I will take your advice into consideration.” Maxson finally glanced up at her, like a dog that had been scolded.

“Good. Thank you.” She was still fuming without a direct apology, but her senses told her she shouldn’t push her luck any further today. She pursed her lips, contemplating their next step. “Now, we should get going. We can spend the night in Diamond City before heading back to the Prydwen tomorrow.”

“There’s sufficient lodging in Diamond City?”

“Yea, I have a place there, and it’s a lot safer than here. Don’t get excited though- Mayor McDonohugh is probably an Institute synth.” She said, smirking, causing Arthur to huff softly in response, an amused smile on his face as the tension between them melted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a tumblr, if anyone is interested! :) I plan to post additional content about Nora and who she is there soon: fallout4-obsessions


	4. Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little dialogue heavy, but there WILL be active in the upcoming chapters. I think the next one is one of my favorites!  
> Thank you so much for all of the kind comments and kudos, as usual! :)

The walk to Home Base, a makeshift home in Diamond City, was comfortably uneventful. The stars shined above them and the city was mostly quiet, with only occasional gunshots in the distance. Perhaps it was the long day or the peaceful surroundings, but Arthur and Nora didn’t speak much on the way back. Instead, she noticed the Elder glancing at her often, occasionally furrowing his brow or biting his lip to show he was thinking over something deeply.

Home Plate was sparsely decorated; lit by the single light bulb and a scattering of candles and lanterns, she made the best she could with minimal furniture of a couch, coffee table and a few beds left behind from the previous owner. After eating, she decided to take advantage of the strangely domestic evening they were sharing and learn a bit more about Arthur. 

“Do you want to play the question game?” Nora asked, placing a variety of alcohol on the coffee table before taking a seat next to Arthur. She tucked her legs up onto the couch so she could face him.

“The question game?” Maxson looked at her hesitantly. Despite their blossoming friendship, he still regarded her as a troublemaker and was wary of trusting the erratic woman.

“Yea, it's an Old World game. We can ask each other any question we want, but we both have to answer.”

“And if I don’t want to answer?” he prodded 

“Hm… then you have to take a shot.”

Arthur was sure he could out drink Nora, and the idea of the elusive woman being at his mercy to divulge her deepest secrets and well-guarded past was too much for him to resist. And all he would have to do is share about his life- one that contained little to no privacy throughout the years, anyways. 

“Very well, you begin.”

“What is your favorite color?” she asked.

“Blue.”

“like your eyes?”

“I suppose…” he was surprised she was quick to comment on the color of her eyes, causing a slight blush to cover his cheeks.

“Mine was red, but nowadays I see so much of it…” 

“What is your last name?” he asked.

Nora huffed in amusement. “You’re not very good at this game, Arthur. You’ll have to get a lot more alcohol in me before I tell you that.” she said as she poured a shot of whiskey, and downed it easily.

“Why do you keep it a secret?”

“It isn’t your turn to ask, but I suppose I’ll let that one slide. The less people know about you, the safer you are.”

“You don’t trust me?” he badgered her.

Nora raised her eyebrow to look at him accusingly. “It’s not your turn, Elder. You will have to exercise some patience here.”

He huffed in response, clearly agitated but still playful. 

A playful smirk grew on her face “I’ll humor you. Do you trust me?” she asked.

“Yes. Do you trust me?” he said without hesitation, to Nora’s surprise. The answer made her smile.

“As much as I can.” He looked disappointed by her response, so she elaborated. “I don’t truly and completely trust anyone- there’s a lot I try to keep private. I do trust you, though. I feel comfortable around you. That’s more than most people ever get from me.” 

From there, the questions went on to more personal topics. He asked her about her old life, she asked him about how he got his scars. They shared favorite books and family stories. Arthur took a shot when she asked him if he would rather fuck a gen 1 or a super mutant since she said “neither” was not an option. She took a shot when he asked her who she thought was the most handsome member of the Brotherhood. But Nora stepped around the things she really wanted to ask, waiting until the right moment to ask what she had been saving all night.

“Have you ever been in love?” she asked, feigning disinterest.

Arthur cleared his throat in response, a certain discomfort creeping onto his face. She was concerned, at first, that he would opt to take a shot. “Yes. I believe so.” 

“If you’re not sure, you might as well just tell me all the crushes you’ve had.” she teased.

He gave her that deep chuckle that set off butterflies in her stomach before continuing. “I believe that is a different question, Knight.” 

Nora shot him her best pouty eyes in response. 

“But- I can explain my answer if that appeases you.”

“Oh, absolutely.” she leaned forward, no longer able to keep her interest in the topic hidden.

“When I was very young, I lived in Lost Hills with my parents and many other Brotherhood families. It was there that I formed a strong bond with a girl my age- Kate. It was the silly kind of crushes children tend to have.” 

“Cute” Nora interjected.

“When I turned eight, my mother sent me to the Citadel to be trained by Owen Lyons, and his daughter Sarah- an entirely different story in itself.”

Nora couldn’t contain her surprise, imagining young Arthur being sent across the country from his parents to fight. She could hardly imagine what he would have looked like without the scars or beard, but to think of a mother that sends her son away was enough for her heart to clench in pain for him. 

“Years later, after many things happened, I met Kate again when we were both teens, right before I became Elder. We dated briefly before she was deployed again.” Arthur explained. His voice became softer toward the end, and Nora could tell he still harbored some pain from his experiences.

“What happened?” Nora asked softly.

“I was to become Elder and she was to return to the West Coast. We decided to go our separate ways… She was later lost in battle, unfortunately.”

“I’m so sorry.” she reached her hand to place it lightly on the Elder’s forearm. 

His body tensed momentarily before relaxing again. “It was a long time ago, but thank you.” his words attempted to hide his emotions, but his eyes burned into Nora with a strange amiability. 

“I guess you know part of my story.”

“I suppose.”

“I was in love once before…” she stopped herself before saying Deacon’s name. “- That friend, I don’t know. We’re just friends now and I’m fine with that. I don’t know if that’s love love, ya know? But, I had an actual love before the bombs. His name was Johnny. We were deployed together, met up in Boston later, started dating- long story short, he was more in love with… pretty much anything than me.”

“What do you mean?” Maxson asked, leaning across the table toward her.

“He just never really thought about me, cared about me. He wouldn’t do anything for me. He missed my birthday to play pool with his friends, I always drove thirty minutes to see him every weekend, but he was unwilling to do the same to see me, just a bunch of small things that equate to not being loving at all. Relationships are supposed to be both ways; both people are supposed to give 110%, not one while the other takes it all. I was just young, didn’t have enough confidence to realize how I should have been treated.” she shrugged.

Arthur seemed to think over her words carefully before responding. “It seems you have a habit for investing in men who don’t see your true worth.”

Nora blushed, but was quick to defend Deacon. “Oh, no- the friend… it was something else… I was just being stupid.” 

Arthur smiled. “You’re not stupid for caring about someone. You deserve to be cherished.” his voice fell quietly at the end.

Nora smiled at him silently, suddenly feeling warm. “I’m surprised you can actually be sweet sometimes,” she muttered playfully, trying to disguise the heat in her face while taking a sip of her beer. “Tell me about the great Arthur Maxson’s crushes?.

“Sarah Lyons,” Arthur said bashfully. “She was the one that trained me for battle and the only real friend I had in the East Coast for some time. It was just a childish crush- nothing rooted in reality. But she was a good friend and mentor.” he smiled sadly. 

“Why did your mother send you there?” Nora asked, unable to contain her curiosity. 

“She thought I was weak- thought the training would help prepare me for my future. I should be thankful, though. At times, the Lyons felt more like family to me than the Maxsons… That statement is not to leave this room.” he caught himself.

“‘I was playing drinking games with Elder Maxson’ is the beginning of a joke, not something people believe.” she laughed. “But having empathy isn’t weakness, nor is being kind or gentle. You’re only human. A good leader is able to show their emotions and vulnerabilities- to make mistakes and grow from them. I can’t imagine expecting a mere child to have mastered both courage and leadership by that age.”

“Perhaps, but that certainly isn’t the Brotherhood tradition. Owen Lyon’s was an exceptionally compassionate leader and heavily criticized for it. The Maxson lineage claims souls made of steel and is one fraught with unrelenting strength- not gentleness or empathy.”

“Maybe, but that doesn’t mean you have to succumb to following past patterns. After all, progress requires change.” Nora could see the Elder’s jaw tighten. He hated it when she questioned the Brotherhood traditions. She wasn’t trying to egg him on or insult his family, but she couldn’t stay quiet and watch a gentle man be swept away by what he believed he had to be. “You must understand that. From what I’ve heard, you are the most progressive of your line. And I just so happen to like your more compassionate side.”

“For being the most stubborn and uncooperative mischief-maker in the Commonwealth, you occasionally prove to be quite kind, Nora.” Arthur teased, a smile progressively growing on his face. 

His eyes gleamed beautifully the way he looked at her just then, sending a blush across Nora’s cheeks. She shifted to bump his shoulder with her own playfully; she didn’t move away and neither did he, leaving them pressed shoulder to shoulder. 

Arthur Maxson was pure chaos; he was like a hurricane of good and bad, kindness and harshness, both protector and predator. She saw the beauty and sweetness of his compassion, but as a born and raised soldier, he had edges and instincts like a wild animal and scars from this world that stopped him from showing his true self. He was quick to anger, but tightly reeled it in, and gave forgiveness and compassion when she least expected it and deserved it less. He was an absolute whirlwind- like her, and Nora was becoming caught up in it. 

The game was quickly abandoned for lighter topics, a new electricity of intimacy humming in the room. It wasn’t long before Nora finished her beer and decided to resign to her bed, rising to her feet. A slow smile grew across her face before she leaned in close to him, her face close to his.

“It’s ‘Williams.” she whispered into his ear with a smirk, retreating before he could respond. She was sure to catch a glimpse of the shocked Elder’s face, and heavy blush, before she left.

Nora Williams.

\------

Nora woke to the quiet hum of the busy town outside and streams of sunlight pouring through the windows. She was never a morning person, but the demands of military life and now the danger of the Commonwealth had adjusted her schedule. Still, she pulled herself out of bed reluctantly, groaning as she climbed down the stairs and into the kitchen.

She had almost forgotten Arthur was there until he shifted in his sleep on the couch, her eyes followed a trail of technical papers still scattered on the coffee table from the night before to his large form sprawled on the couch- sweatpants and no shirt. 

“Fuck…” she scolded herself for gawking. “That should be illegal” she muttered quietly, noticing his pronounced muscles and the scattering of scars across his abdomen. Despite the warmth in her cheeks, she tried to reassure herself she wasn’t attracted to Elder Maxson. And she certainly wasn’t getting a crush on him. And she definitely wasn’t going to stare at him while they ate breakfast together, but of course, none of those things were true.

\------

Nora was quick to notice a shift on the Prydwen. Thereafter, when she reported to Maxson she was often greeted with a glass of whiskey and friendly conversation. It became their ritual, of sorts, to meet late at night for idle conversation and sly flirtation in the disguise of reports or confidential meetings.

She noticed Arthur smile more often. She noticed herself smile more often, too. It wasn’t that they stopped disagreeing or didn’t argue, but she felt a sort of comfort around him she couldn’t find elsewhere- a safe vulnerability. 

She feared that was about to end as she slipped into the Elder’s quarters. It was late, unusually late for him to request her to debrief, but she knew the reason. A shiver ran down her spine- one warning her of the danger she should expect.

“Knight. Nice to see you made it back okay.” Arthur’s voice was stiffer than usual, but didn’t allude to any hard feelings. 

Nora momentarily hoped Danse had not reported her insubordination on their latest mission. “Thank you.” she pondered for a second at a loss for words before decidedly avoiding the topic of the mission. “Paperwork treating you okay?”

Maxson huffed in amusement, a bittersweet smile stayed in place as he sat at his table next to her. “Well enough. Though the papercuts can be pretty dangerous.” he chided, pouring a glass of whiskey for each of them. 

“Nora, would you like to talk about your mission?” 

She gritted her teeth, hesitant to respond. Why did the Brotherhood have to send her and Danse to Covenant, of all places? The odd settlement seemed ideal for trading with and gathering information, but when they got there it was filled with mischief. A missing person report sent them investigating a caravan owner’s daughter only to find the “scientist” holding her claimed she was a synth. 

Of course, Nora let the girl go without asking any questions. But that came with a security risk for her, seeing as Danse was a reluctant witness to it all.

“You expect me to kill an innocent girl?!” Nora nearly exploded at the slightest implication she had done anything wrong. She knew Arthur would be upset, but was it wrong of her to hope he would take her side? 

“I expect you to fully inspect the situation to insure the Commonwealth’s safety.” he replied bitterly.

“And I did. And I deemed her an innocent victim of kidnapping. If that wasn’t clear to Danse, then maybe he should have paid more attention when we were investigating the psychopaths that ran that town. God, why can’t you understand any of this? Ghouls aren’t your enemy and neither are innocent people that this stupid paranoid society calls synths. How many innocent people have died for nothing?!”

Arthur rubbed his face with one large hand. She couldn’t help but notice the calluses and small scars that marked his fingers, telling the story of a lifetime spent in war. She tried to remind herself of that- that each person her was jaded and marked with a life of pain and tragedy that made them this way, even if it was wrong.

“Nora, I know you don’t agree with me. I will accept you have some points about non-feral ghouls… even if they do turn at some point. But synths can’t be trusted.” he moved his hand as if to place it on her shoulder, but retracted it before he did, thinking over his words before continuing. “I’m sure that’s hard for you to understand, not having seen what we have. And maybe you were right, that girl wasn’t a synth, but without further investigation, you could have been wrong, too… I had hoped you would keep your affiliation with the Railroad to your own time.”

Nora could feel her heart nearly stop beating; it was as if time itself stood still at the realization of what she just heard. Her cover had been blown. For all she knew, the Brotherhood could have followed her every step and discovered the Railroad’s HQ as well. And what about Deacon. When she felt her heart beating again it was rapid in the panic that settled on her. On the outside, though, she kept the calm face she had before, staying true to her sniper training. 

“What are you talking about, Arthur?”

“You don’t seriously think I didn’t know, do you?”

“Just because I don’t want to kill everything doesn’t mean I’m part of some group of fanatics.” she said dismissively. “Besides, I don’t see what problem you have with synth leaving the institute. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” 

He scoffed frustratedly. “What do you not understand about the threat these creations pose to us!?” he tapped his fingers on the table impatiently, watching as she glared in silence. “Just let me pretend I don’t know, okay? I don’t care how, just don’t give Danse more things to report you for. Okay?”

“I- I’m sorry, what?”

Arthur sighed again, running his hand through his hair. “If I have to be honest with you, I have known for some time. You are… incredibly stubborn and do not regard Brotherhood procedures at all, but you stand up for what you believe in. I might not agree with you, but I certainly admire you for that. But I won’t tolerate this if you ever put any Brotherhood soldiers in harm’s way.”

A heavy blush covered her cheeks from the compliment. She was confused, to say the least. While she didn’t trust Maxson to be okay with her going behind his back to save synths, she couldn’t help but wonder why he was excusing her for this, but she suspected her answer came with his next statement.

“Now, for the love of God, can we please talk about something other than work?” He said, a playful smile on his face and a sparkle in his eye. 

Nora turned to face him, resting a hand on his shoulder and smiling kindly. She pushed her worries away for the moment being. “Of course, do you want to hear about the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen in the Commonwealth?”


	5. The Glowing Sea

“It’s not right!” Nora yelled. 

Captain Kells had made the mistake of charging Nora with the duty of taking a squire with her to “cleanse the Commonwealth”. The second he finished explaining the assignment, the knight was in Elder Maxson’s quarters yelling in protest. 

“I was observing at the age of seven and in the battlefield by ten. These squires are older.”

“And what about your childhood? No, you were robbed of it. That’s child abuse!!”

Arthur gritted his teeth, the veins on his neck showing just how close to home she had hit. “What are you trying to say, Knight?!” He bit back, harsh and louder than before. It was a challenge to see if she would dare attack the Maxson line and the Brotherhood ways.

Nora’s eyebrows knit together in response “These kids- you- you should’ve been playing games and making friends… They’re the only innocent thing left in this world and you want me to take a child- a sensitive, innocent child- and show them the horrors of war?” her voice breaking at the end.

The sudden vulnerability caught Arthur off guard, his eyes widening with concern. It seemed he had misunderstood her sudden rash anger. Rather than another attack on Brotherhood ethics, she was upset about something much deeper… the pain of losing the life she once knew and the safety that came with it.

Arthur breathed deeply through his nose to calm himself before responding more gently this time. “Nora, This is the best thing for them. Children in this world- the squires are sheltered to never have seen death yet. That may be wrong, but the best we can do is be there for them through this- comfort them and teach them, so their first time seeing the brutality of war won’t be when they are alone and defenseless.” 

“But-“ She sniffled, a stray tear running down her cheek “I don’t want them to, ever.” 

her thoughts were choppy and scattered. She stared down at the floor in front of her, embarrassed to be breaking down in front of Elder Maxson like this, but somehow this triggered something inside of her- a realization and an anger all at the same time that the life she had not mourned yet was gone forever. There was no safe place left, and no one was spared from that. 

She let tears fall silently. Arthur’s large hand came to her cheek timidly. He let his thumb wipe away her tears before retreating. 

“I’m sorry” he said in the softest tone she had ever heard from him. The sudden touch of affection nearly knocked the wind out of her lungs, as she looked up at him with wide eyes. The only response she could manage was to place her hand over his in silence, cherishing the closest things she had to an embrace since the bombs dropped. 

\------

Nora’s hands shook as she slipped the dead drop into a mailbox for Deacon with a holotape explaining everything- or at least what she was willing to divulge. No, she wasn’t going to admit a thing about her ‘friendliness’ with Arthur, and to be honest she wasn’t sure how he got the information. But she warned Deacon and the others her cover had been blown. She didn’t know how to proceed, but they had a goal and she wasn’t going to give up on it. Arthur wasn’t forcing her to stay away from the Railroad, but she wanted to be careful. 

It was odd, really, leaving a tape for someone, knowing that by the time they collected it she would be gone. One assignment with the BOS and the last piece for her trip would be in place. She had enough ammo to support a small army, medical supplies from every hospital she could find, and a hazmat suit. Still, she knew she might not make it back. 

She thought about leaving a tape for Arthur, but she thought it was better no one knew. She would rather disappear without a trace than have anyone worry about her, and any secret feelings she would admit would only deepen the pain of loss. Walking away, she knew what he meant to her now, but it was impossible- pointless. So, she pretended not to feel anything.

\------

Later that week, Captain Kells handed Elder Maxson a report about Knight Nora’s mission. “Again, Knight Nora has abandoned her commands, opting for her own approach to the missions we give her.” Captain Kells stated as he handed the folder to Elder Maxson before leaving him to read. 

Arthur was expecting to read that she brought the squire to Diamond City for noodles or something ridiculous rather than follow orders, but he was surprised to see her course of action wasn’t ill thought out, for once. Nora had brought the squire to a settlement near the targeted area. The squire’s own reports stated that they discussed the settlers’ needs before finding out ferals were coming up from the targeted area to disturb them. Nora had the squire help her with installing defense mechanisms and water pumps for the settlers before clearing out the ferals together. The squire presented critical understandings of the significance of assisting the people of the Commonwealth, and a more serious take on the dangers and reality of war than he typically read from these reports. He had expected some “It was awesome” gross misunderstanding of the weight of battle, but instead he was pleased to read Nora had thoroughly discussed the significance of killing and danger of battle with the squire. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile while reading a report” Danse’s baritone voice disturbed the Elder from his reading.

“Paladin, Knight Nora is proving to be… quite exceptional. Good job, I should have expected as much with your recommendation.” 

Danse let out a huff of amusement. “I’m just glad she hasn’t let her temperament get her into too much trouble…” 

“Well, yes. That has been somewhat of a problem, but she makes up for it in initiative and moral.” Arthur put lightly, concealing his urge to smirk at Danse’s comment. 

Nora did have a horrible temperament and little to no real regard for the Brotherhood’s ways at times, but, oddly, he cherished that about her. She was the only one that wasn’t afraid of him in some way or another. She challenged him, but he grew to enjoy their spats and admired her critical mind. 

He was sure to call a meeting with Captain Kells to reform the Squires’ training based on Nora’s actions. Having the squires connect with real people that they would be helping could be beneficial both for the squires’ understandings, but also for the face of the Brotherhood. He would have to commend Knight Nora well once she returned. 

\------

Nora Williams did not show up for two weeks. No one knew where she had gone to, only that she left with her power armor on; Proctor Ingram saw her last, saying Nora had left after putting a new coat of lead paint on her power armor. After two weeks of being unable to contact her via the regular channels, Arthur was so worried that he pulled out her medical records, considering an underlying disease or some deadly allergy that could account for her sudden death or immobilization. 

That’s when he saw it.

Name: Nora _______  
Age: 22  
...  
Underlying conditions: Infertility 

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a long sigh. His emotions toward the discovery were… complicated. His own frustrations should have told him everything he needed to know- he had feelings for Nora, but acting on those became even less likely than before. He pushed the emotions down and told himself she would be back soon.

It turned out, the Elder has a lot of time to consider his emotions. Arthur paced the observation tower more each day she was gone. She was on his mind more than he considered possible; her smile, her laughter, her horrible prodding and poking… then there was the Brotherhood, his lineage and the Maxson tradition. It wasn’t that Arthur was considering proposing to her. He just wasn’t a man to take a casual relationship, especially not in a situation like this. At the very base level, the Elder taking on a Knight of his own troop as a lover was controversial, to say the least.

Paladin Danse came by the observation deck one late evening, where Arthur sat on the couch in deep thought. The Paladin cleared his throat upon entering the room, not to keen on interrupting Maxson.

“Oh, Paladin. Come in. Would you like a drink?” 

“Pardon my brashness, but are you okay, Sir?”  
Arthur stared at him blankly.

“You just seem to be sleeping less than normal. And drinking more. That’s all.” Paladin Danse clarified.

Maxson ran his hand through his hair, tugging at it the way he did when he was particularly stressed. “Paladin, may I trust you to speak of confidential matters?”

“Of course, Sir.” Paladin Danse was quick to reply.

Elder Maxson stood to shut the doors before continuing. “I believe I have developed… feelings for an infertile woman.” the description was vague enough. If anything, Danse was likely to suspect Nora last. Many women suffered from infertility due to the commonality of malnutrition or radiation exposure.

“Oh…”

“Yes…”

“So, you are asking…?” Danse looked confused, unsure of what the appropriate response was.

“I don’t know what to do.” 

“I think I’ll take that drink now.”

The men discussed Arthur’s problem over scotch and a game of checkers, as they did from time to time.

“There are a few options. Perhaps there are treatments if you’re really serious about her.”

“I don’t think that is viable in this situation.”

“And what is the intensity of these feelings?”

Maxson was hesitant to respond. “...quite…” 

Danse huffed out a chuckle, trying to refrain from smiling when Arthur glared at him. “Have you spoken about it with her?”

“No, I don’t even know if the feelings are reciprocated to this extent. She doesn’t exactly seem like the type to even want the life that comes with being a Maxson” he admitted. 

While Arthur was sure Nora cared for him, and he certainly had caught her staring from time to time, he wasn’t sure she would consider him romantically. He had to admit, he hadn’t intended to pursue a romantic relationship with her when he first invited her to his quarters, but he never could ignore her beauty, and immediately admired her audacity. She was the kind of strong woman with a warm heart that one only sees once or twice in their lifetime. But then there were their differences, too. She was wildly independent and fiercely against many of the Brotherhood values. If he was honest, that was part of why he liked her. The old rhetoric was getting tiring.

Arthur’s thoughts were interrupted by Danse “You could discuss it.”

“I read her personal file, Danse. I found out in a completely inappropriate way. How do you suppose I discuss this?!” he admitted, ears turning red in shame.

“Ah- oh…”

Arthur grunted discontently in response.

“How many women have you felt this way for?” Danse pushed.

Arthur didn’t respond, staring at the board for much longer before moving his piece.

“If I may… Perhaps, it is possible to consider alternative means of choosing a High Elder in the future. After all, if you never find love, you won’t have an heir either way.” Danse said dryly, but Maxson could see the glimmer of humor in his eye before the two men laughed.

——

Three long weeks without Knight Nora came to an end abruptly when Arthur’s bedroom door flung open. He was sitting at his desk reviewing Knight Nora’s report. Danse had given it to him earlier, and he had ordered her to report to him immediately. Unfortunately for her, she took long enough that he was able to read the file. Twice. Now, he looked up from it and saw her. 

She was wearing her favorite leather jacket, with what looked like a dark red tank top underneath with her black pants and boots. She was clean with her long raven locks falling sweetly around her face like she took the time to shower and change before coming to report her whereabouts to him- a fact that both flattered and irked him. Almost as much as the clear burn mark he could see near her shoulder on her chest, despite the jacket blocking most of it. To top it off, he was quick to see her hands covered in cuts and scrapes. But that couldn’t compare to her shit eating grin. 

“Where have you been?” He rose to his feet abruptly.

“Nice to see you too.” She snarked. “Didn’t you read my report?” she asked, closing the door behind her.

“I just want you to confirm this for me.” Arthur held his voice, as he felt like he was about to scream. The veins on his neck surely were bulging from the pressure in his head “You went to the Glowing Sea alone, destroyed a glowing deathclaw alone, attained secret information from an institute scientist- who’s also a super mutant, and with who knows how much sleep, food or medical care, tracked down and killed an institute courser… alone?!” 

“Yea, that’s about right.” Nora’s proud look dissipated as she watched Arthur’s anger flare more. Her lack of understanding was slowly breaking something inside of him. 

“I would never send any less than three Paladins to the Glowing Sea. Why on this godforsaken planet did you go alone?! And a courser! They have killed some of our best! Did you even think about asking for assistance?!” Arthur’s voice rose in volume, as did his frustration.

“I don’t need a babysitter, Elder.” her defiance was stronger as she shifted her shoulders to stand taller and gave him that horribly cold glare of hers.

“No! You’re a part of this team. You came here for help. Why can’t you accept it? Did you even think to consider you could have died?!”

“Well, I didn’t! Why are you so mad?!” Nora yelled back, throwing her hands up into the air.

Before she could react, the Elder was in her face, causing her to back up into the wall, her words only angering him further. 

“Why am I mad?! What kind of self-destructive-” he slammed his fist into the wall next to her, causing her to flinch in reaction. Granted, the collision wasn’t as hard as she knew he could’ve made it, but that only made her sink back farther, seeing that he was holding back so much. “Why am I mad?! Don’t you get it?! I don’t want to lose you.” the last sentence fell out of his mouth like a confession he hadn’t planned on saying- not gentle, but softer than his strained yells- desperate.

He was suddenly hyper-aware of their closeness, a situation he hadn’t planned on getting himself into. He wasn’t mad; he was hurt and scared. The three weeks she was gone, all he could think about was losing her.

Nora looked up at him with big eyes, seeing his pain as her mouth fell open “Arthur…I-” she said softly.

The next thing he knew, his hand was on her jaw and neck and his lips were on her own. Nora was quick to kiss him back passionately, but slowly, as they both were considering this uncharted territory. His hand stayed on her jaw, while the other wrapped around her waist to pull her close to him and away from the wall. He didn’t want her to feel trapped. Her tongue skimmed over his lips, but when he opened his mouth for her, she pulled away.

“I can’t have kids!” she blurted out. 

Arthur was taken aback by the sudden confession- and the fact she even considered the Maxson tradition. “I know.” he said, reaching out to her again. 

She tensed at his touch momentarily, before melting into him. 

“I don’t care.” He muttered before moving to kiss her neck. 

“But…” she resisted. This time he reacted, straightening up to look her in the eyes and removing his hands from her. 

“Then… what am I to you?” she questioned, avoiding eye contact.

“I assure you, I am not propositioning you casually.”

She let out a short laugh before sarcastically responding “Wow, that is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” making him chuckle

“Nora,” Arthur smiled, grabbing her face in his large hands, letting his fingers tangle in her dark hair. “You’re all I can think about. Fuck the rules. I want you. All of you. In every way.”

He had never seen Nora’s eyes light up so quickly or so brightly as just then. Specifically, when he cursed, she let out a girlish giggle. It wasn’t long before her lips were back on his and a heated kiss began again with her arms wrapped around his neck. After a few moments, it was him that pulled away this time.

“Of course, if you don’t feel the same way- you don’t have to do this just because…” He began. she looked at him impatiently “...power imbalances or whatever.” he muttered.

At that, she smiled devilishly “The only power you have over me is the power I give you.” she gripped his jacket firmly to pull him against her again. “I’ve been falling for you for a while, Maxson.” she chided before kissing him deeper. 

With her confirmation, Arthur smiled against her kiss before pulling her legs up around his waist only to carry her to his bed and drop her haphazardly on the mattress, savoring the sounds of her giggles. He was quick to follow her, chasing her lips and the feeling of her body pressed against his.

\-- -- --

She slept in his room that night, snuggled tightly against him. On a normal night, the pair would stay up until three or four talking. But tonight, they were both dozing off by midnight. Arthur wrapped his large arms around her small waist. He traced the lines of her muscles on her abdomen, brushing his fingers lightly down her thighs, and back up again to rest an open palm on her chest. He nuzzled into her neck, breathing deeply at her scent. 

“Nora…”

“Mmm?” she rolled to look at him sleepily. “You’re not ready for round three, are you?” she teased even in her half-awake state. That made him smile. 

“No- I just wanted to-” he paused, biting his lip.

“Anything.” she raised her hand to cup his face.

“I love you.” he whispered, barely audible

“I love you, too, Arthur.” Nora smiled sweetly before planting soft kisses on his lips and rolling over, pressing herself tightly to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! Don't worry though, just because they're together does not mean this story is over. There are still a lot of things they'll have to work out. :)


End file.
